


The Pelerins Progress, or a Long Wei to a Smalle Angri Islet

by UrsulaKohl



Category: Chaucer Hath a Blog | Chaucer Doth Tweet, Wayfarers Series - Becky Chambers
Genre: Crossover, F/F, F/M, Geometry is magic, Middle English, Miracles of Saint Isidore, Pilgrimage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-18 11:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16994154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UrsulaKohl/pseuds/UrsulaKohl
Summary: Chaucer hath a blog wherein he revieweth manye grete workes of literature.A Long Wei to a Smalle Angri Isletis a tale of faythe and love most fitting to thys seasoun.





	The Pelerins Progress, or a Long Wei to a Smalle Angri Islet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ofunaq](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofunaq/gifts).



Ich have ywritten the best and most complete of all tailes concerning pylegrimes. Neverthelesse it pleseth me to consider other tailes of this ilk. Ich have come across a story most parfight for the seasoun, for it concerneth love and pese and faith in the true saintes, albeit it is lacking in the dedes of armes ich lyke to see in proper romaunce.

Whilom ther dwelt a fayr mayden yn a kingdom whose people had vowyd pese wyth alle man kynde. But this maydens father had with yvil and full selfishly brokyn his oath, for he whisshed to sell swordes and gonnes and other tools of warre. Therfor did she disgise herself and take passage upon a shippe. The shippe was called Pelerin wherfor it was moste capable of wei-fering and filled wyth pylegrimes, and upon thys ship the mayden was yclept Rosmarine, lyke unto the herbis. 

On the Pelerin, Rosmarine met forthwith an eremyte of angry countenaunce. He was called Corbel, for he was wont to wacche lyke a raven. He speke of grene sea-grasse and lyfe-boates. Now, ich would wisshe most herteley to know of lyfe-boates afore ich set forth upon an aventure on the sea. But Rosmarines herte was filt wyth the vow of pese, therfor she mynded not. Instede she speke wyth the other pylegrimes and ther was much drynken of soupe.

One of the pylegrimes upon thys shippe was yclept Lovekin. She was a woman of grete pietie who reverenced Saynt Isidore. She had sworn an oath of chastitie, and in return she gained manie powers of memorie and computacioun. Her truest frende was a man by the name of Ienyn, who fixed thinges and tended to the shippe. Thei hid the true extent of ther love and frendship for fear Lovekins oath would be mokked and her true chastitie disbelieved. Another of the pylegrimes upon thys shippe was an helfe yclept Siserica. Thys name meneth the lamentacioun of the ruler, but Siserica was an happie helfe and fulle of pese. Siserica had fethers lyke unto a birde and was colourit grene lyke grasse or those pesen that are for eatyng. 

Sone aftir Rosemarine keme on board, the Pelerin was set upon by pyratys. The pyratys speke in a tonge that the capitain of the shippe knew not. Thei were angri and they broke the capitaines jaw. But Rosmarine wot wele the tonge of the pyratys, and she speke to them of ther childeryn. Thei took sea-grasse from the eremyte and mete for ther childeryn. Thei demanded also the person of the navigatour. But the physicien speke and said the navigatour was sicke nigh unto dethe. Therfor the pyratys toke oil and fuell instede. Then thei did leave, and the shippe continued on its holie journei.

Later the shippe visited the land of the helves. Ther Rosmarine learned that helves are born from eyren, and have fethers of different colours, some blue, some grene, and some blue and grene together. Rosmarine loked upon Siserica among the other helven, and fynded her fulle fayr. Indeed the mayden was filt with a love that ich wolde compare to the love of the engels and cherubynnes. For it careth not of sexe of male and femele, nor yet of kynde. And the helfe Siserica loked upon the mayden and found her also fayr, thou yet she was withouten fethers and her skinne was broune. And thei were glad and gay in ther affecciun for one another.

After many ventures the shippe and all its merrie compagnie came to the island of the Toremy. The Toremy had not ysworn the vow of pese. Indede thei were a people often at warre with one another and enamoured of dedes of armes, and thei had purchased manie weapons from Rosmarines father. Yet the kynge of Rosemarines kyngedom had sent his ambassadours, hoping to make pese with the Toremy and perchance to let marchaunts trade in cunnyngly wroght thynges. Whanne ich learned this, ich was gretely afeared that Rosemarine was sent upon the Pelerins journey bi some traitour of the kynges court. For the kynges ambassadours might hate a mayden who lied of her father and his yvil waies, be she never so fayr, and never mynde if the gonnes were there any wei. But this showeth mine own is a yet more yvil countrie, for her kynges court had no such traitour.

Neverthelesse bringing Rosmarine unto the court of the Ladies of the Toremy was not a wyse or wel-planned thinge. The people of the Toremy are skilled of hearing, and one of their cnihts espyed upon the meting of the pylegrimes and the ambassadours. He harkened to Rosmarine complayning of the gonnes and swordes his companiouns wore, and speking of her father as an yvil man. He disliked this disloyaltie, and thought the ambassadours not to be trusted, and the crewe of the Pelerin even less. Thus alone and without authoritie of the Ladies of the Toremy, he took one of ther grete canonys, and poynted it toward the Pelerin as the pylegrimes left his lande.

The canonys blast was loud and fearsome, and one of the masts of the shippe was shattered. Lovekin used her knoledge of geometrie to find other weis to hoist the sails and hasten from the Islet of the Toremy. Nonethelesse she grew tired and the windes were fiers. In fear and trembling she prayed to Saynt Isidore. In a booming voice he speke, saying such a grete knoledge of geometrie was needed in Heven. Ienyn added his own prayers, that Lovekin be preserved and the mast restored. Ther was a grete rushing of winde, and Lovekin was vanished. In the next breth the mast was restored, and a fayr mayden standing beside it. The mayden looked lyke unto Lovekin, as lyke as two pesen in ther podde. Yet whanne Ienyn speke to her, she knew him not. She was Loveday, a sistre of Lovekin, for Lovekin had ascended unto Heven at the command of Saynt Isidore. Ienyns herte was full sore.

Menewhile the navigatours illnesse grew treuli grave, and the navigatour speke much of the joies of Heven. Alle the pylegrimes were sad to lose another frend. Corbel the eremyte speke to himselfe, saying, giving one of thys companie to the Hevens was enow. Therfor he stole a medisin of grete power and gave it to the navigatour. And thei alle were wondred at the navigatours gode helthe, and the navigatour speke no more of the closenesse of Heven. Ich know not whether to be gladde or filt with sorwe at thys chaunce, but ich wot it was a wondre strengthefulle medisin.

Now all of the crewe of the Pelerin speke of the tribulaciouns thei had endured and the joie thei found in knowing one another. Thei considered each other true familie, save for Loveday, who knew them not. Loveday chose to leave at the next port for to seken a path different from that of her sistre. But all the rest rejoyced, even Corbel the eremyte. Ich wonder at the eremyte, for ich might have sought a crewe more enamoured of lyfe-boates, had ich bene in his shoes. But mayhaps I do not understand, for though my countrie is blessed by Saynt George, my kinge has not chosen the grete vow of pese.

**Author's Note:**

> I am indebted to the Dictionary of Medieval Names in European Sources (dmnes.org) and the Middle English Dictionary for any accuracies in my spelling, and to etothey, SylvanAuctor, and tellingetienne for any felicities in my tale.


End file.
